Friday: Kobayashi would have liked more track time with the Caterham F1 in Sochi

Marcus Ericsson (No. 9) – 20th and 19th

For the Swede, it was a complete and rather good day: « This morning, in FP1, it was about learning the track and preparing for the rest of the weekend. […] We waited for conditions to improve but once we went out, it wasn’t too bad; except for the small energy management issue, it was a useful session. Then, in FP2, we covered a lot of laps and I felt comfortable, it was a good session. We adjusted the car a bit to match the track and my driving style and I think we did a decent job and collected a lot of information for the rest of the weekend. »

Overall, it’s a good day on the track but obviously we don’t forget Jules, all our thoughts and prayers continue to be with him, his family, and Marussia, he concluded.

Kamui Kobayashi (No. 10) – 21st [FP2]

Without running during the initial tests, the Japanese driver nonetheless had a second calm session on a circuit he already appreciates: « Missing FP1 was not an ideal way to start the weekend here in Sochi, because it’s a new track and it’s always better to have as much running as possible, but I think it was a quiet start for me and we were able to gather a lot of reliable information that we will analyze tonight. […] The layout of the Sochi Autodrome is interesting, I like it. It has fast sections and is quite flat, I enjoy driving here. »

Roberto Merhi (n°45) – 19th [FP1]

For the Spaniard, whose third free practice session of the season was taking place, after Monza and Suzuka, everything went wonderfully: « It was a positive morning and I enjoyed driving here in Sochi for the first time. We went out late because we were waiting for the conditions to improve. My first stint was fine, we used it to make checks and understand the car’s behavior; I must say I felt comfortable from the beginning. We made some adjustments before our second stint and they really improved the car. We can be happy, the final result is positive. »